Birthday Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes

Did you know September is the month with the most birthdays? At least, that’s what I’ve heard. Though my birthday is in July, by September I’m fiending for birthday cake once again, so this timing is just perfect in my [belly’s] opinion. So like, yes, these are birthday brownie cupcakes, but *who’s* birthday it is is entirely up to you. Your friend’s? Your cousin’s? Your cat’s?

Instead of a “normal” chocolate cupcake, I made a brownie cupcake. As in, a cupcake with a rich, fudgy consistency. It’s thicker than a typical chocolate cake, with a richness that will leave you hankering for a second helping. I’m just staring at these photos right now and thinking how freaking cute these cakes are. Gah. Cupcakes are so happy-making.

So whether you have a birthday or not, these birthday cupcakes will have you feeling celebratory and satiated, no doubt about it. Yeeeee!

Happy Monday 🙂

Tips on how to frost cupcakes

Frosting cupcakes takes some practice, but it’s incredibly simple to do. Get your hands on some piping tips and a piping bag or Ziploc baggie, if possible. Place the piping tip inside the piping bag or at one corner of your Ziploc baggie, then fill the bag with your buttercream. Once the buttercream is inside the bag, snip the tip off the bag so the piping tip can poke through.

If you want to pipe the frosting on like I have in this brownie cupcake recipe, you’ll want to use a star-shaped piping tip. Hold the piping bag directly over the cupcake and work your way from the inside out, slowly squeezing the frosting onto the cupcake. (For more detailed instructions, check out this frosting tutorial).

Don’t have piping tips? That’s fine! Just grab a spoon and smooth some frosting over these bad boys. Once you add the sprinkles, your brownie cupcakes will look très chic.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 12 cupcake tins with cupcake molds. Set aside.

In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar on high speed for 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, milk, and vanilla extract.

Turn speed to low and mix in the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt.

Pour into cupcake molds and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.

While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting. Cream the butter and cocoa powder for 2-3 minutes, until the cocoa powder begins to lighten in color. Add in the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and salt, beating until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.

Frost cupcakes by placing frosting into a piping bag with a large star tip. Swirl the frosting around the cupcake, starting from the middle and working your way outwards. Continue to spiral the frosting up like a pyramid until the cupcake is frosted. Sprinkle with rainbow sprinkles!

Well then, I know no one with a birthday in Sept. but since there are so many birthdays in September, I may as well indulge! OMG.. brownie cupcakes? You’re killin it Sarah! These are SO rich and chocolately… exactly what makes me weak in the knees!! LOVE!

I’m a fan of celebrating as many birthdays as possible, ALL THE TIME, mostly because of all the cake that then gets to be eaten! Love that these are so fudgy…definitely the ultimate in chocolate cupcakes!

Kimberly

These smell delicious coming out of the oven, and they definitely look like brownies on top, but I am so sad that all of mine spread out over the edges of the muffin cups and sunk way down in the middle…. ? I followed the directions exactly with fresh ingredients except for one thing: my cocoa powder was half regular and half dutched (Hershey’s). Could this one thing have been the reason?